Gieger counter

[longbow]

So I get me a N0S Geiger counter to replace the old cd unit. The problem is I can't find anything radioactive other than my smoke alarm. It's almost annoying I can't find anything to set it off.

Anyone else have this problem? Off to walk up to random people in Bloomington to see if they are hot......

 

[BogWalker]

You can buy some low-radiation uranium mine tailing on eBay, or you at least used to be able to. I've got a small tin of it somewhere I used to play with my old Civil Defense unit. Haven't messed with it in a few years though.

Maybe try the innards of a smoke alarm, but I'm not sure how much that gives off. Banana display at Kroger maybe?

Hit some flea markets and find some uranium glass.

 

[nettinyahoo]

Orange fiestaware

 

[Wolffman]

I thought you could buy some standards from scientific companies. I think Cs should be in a low enough concentration that the NRC wouldn't care. I haven't looked for a while though. Who knows what the bureaucrats have put in place since then. I wish I had a geiger counter like I used to use in the lab. But, it hasn't made it high enough on the list.

 

[spencer rifle]

Kerosene lantern mantles (the good ones like the Amish use) have thorium in them.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Kerosene lantern mantles (the good ones like the Amish use) have thorium in them.

Any gas mantle lantern mantle has thorium in them.

 

[Sylvain]

Not sure I would call a "problem" not having too much radioactive stuff around ...

You could find some wrist watches with tritium in them, guns with night sights, people who traveled to Chernobil recently ...

 

[The Bubba Effect]

So I get me a N0S Geiger counter to replace the old cd unit. The problem is I can't find anything radioactive other than my smoke alarm. It's almost annoying I can't find anything to set it off.

Anyone else have this problem? Off to walk up to random people in Bloomington to see if they are hot......

Hit up the geology department at IU. Tell them what you have and what you are trying to do and someone there will probably help you out. IU might be overrun with liberal fantacists, but I am betting that the geology building is still full of good old fashioned nerds and rocks. If it were me, I would just take the geiger counter into the geology building on 10th street and wonder around until someone either asked me about it or I saw someone who looked like the type of person that would think calibrating a geiger counter is fun.

 

[nettinyahoo]

Old "exit" signs contain tritium.

 

[actaeon277]

Amazon has some.

 

[1775usmarine]

Travel to Fallout 4

 

[BogWalker]

Oh, I forgot to ask what model did you buy? I'm in the market.

 

[12many]

I have an old Cs "check source" from a former place of employment that we used to check our survey meters (geiger Muller tubes). Cs137 has a 30 year half life so it should still register at least 1mR. Might help to check sensitivity. Yours is probably an ion chamber as opposed to a G-M tube.
PM me if you would like to make arrangements to meet up so you can check. Not interested in selling though, sorry

 

[rhino]

So I get me a N0S Geiger counter to replace the old cd unit. The problem is I can't find anything radioactive other than my smoke alarm. It's almost annoying I can't find anything to set it off.

Anyone else have this problem? Off to walk up to random people in Bloomington to see if they are hot......

Try checking bananas or any other produce that you know took a long boat ride to get here. They typically irradiate them to stop the production of ethene gas, which prevents them from ripening during the trip here. After the tsunami damage at the Fukushima facility, someone set-off a detector at an airport when they tried to enter the US from that part of the world . . . it was a banana.

 

[vitamink]

Granite puts off rad.

 

[Thor]

Antique cobalt blue glassware...it's called cobalt blue for a reason. Don't store that stuff in a closed cabinet and then take a deep breath when you open the door...

Hospitals often have a check source...if you can find someone who knows in the radiological department and is willing to help.

Also, if you have a nuclear power plant near you they may be willing to help you out. I did a Boy Scout tour of the Cook Nuclear Power Plant a few years ago and they took my meter to their work shop and calibrated it. Said they were impressed with how accurate and sensitive it was (once calibrated). It's an old CD unit.

 

[Thor]

Alternately, if you have static display military jet aircraft in the area and they left the gauges in they will be a rad source. If the cockpit has been closed for years the atmosphere inside will be radioactive. Of course, getting up by the cockpit may be problematic without a ground crew.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Uranium Ore Fragments : United Nuclear , Scientific Equipment & Supplies

$12.

 

[Wolffman]

I thought you could buy some standards from scientific companies. I think Cs should be in a low enough concentration that the NRC wouldn't care. I haven't looked for a while though. Who knows what the bureaucrats have put in place since then. I wish I had a geiger counter like I used to use in the lab. But, it hasn't made it high enough on the list.

OK. It has now made it high enough on my list. Looks like it took ~ 2 years.
This is just me thinking out loud. I'm interested in either Eberline or Ludlum models. I used to have an Eberline model in the lab. I've seen a couple online (Ebay) for under $200. This must be part of what pushed it higher on my list. For those who are looking for standards, search for "radioactive source". A source is going to cost around $75 - $100.

 

[EMT-Alex]

I’m looking for a nice CD unit. Anybody know of some good deals?

I know the asking price is $120-$250, which I can drop the cash on, i just don’t know how often I’ll use the thing.